Brazil was an unstoppable force against Scotland on Wednesday, cruising to a 3–0 win at Hard Rock Stadium and straight to the top of Group C.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men never looked in doubt of securing three points, controlling nearly every facet of the game from the opening whistle. Scotland was its own worst enemy early, gift-wrapping a goal for Vinicius Junior just seven minutes into the match.
The winger was on the scoresheet again by halftime, before Matheus Cunha joined the party at the hour-mark. As if three goals weren’t enough cause for celebration, Neymar made his highly anticipated return to cap off a special night in Miami.
Brazil clinched first place of Group C thanks to its superior goal difference over Morocco, who also finished the group stage with seven points. Next up for the Seleção is the round of 32, where they will hope to extend their six-game unbeaten run this summer.
The One Thing We Can’t Ignore
In the aftermath of Raphinha’s injury, the already intense pressure on Vinicius Jr increased tenfold. Without the Barcelona winger available, the weight of the attack was largely on Vinicius Jr’s shoulders on Wednesday night, especially with Neymar still not fit enough to start.
The good news for Brazil? The No. 7 comes alive under the brightest lights, on the biggest stages. Vinicius Jr scored the game’s opener, saw another goal disallowed by VAR and powered a header into the back of the net all before the halftime whistle.
The 25-year-old has now scored four of Brazil’s seven goals at the 2026 World Cup. Plus, Vinicius Jr created one and another was a rebound Cunha buried off a curling strike from the Real Madrid star.
It’s impossible to ignore just how lethal Vinicius Jr is under Ancelotti’s leadership. The two found so much success together at the Bernabéu and have picked up right where they left off—just at the international level now. It is a dream scenario for the Seleção as they pursue a record-extending sixth World Cup title.
For Vinicius Jr, it could prove the ultimate redemption considering his poor performance for Brazil at the 2024 Copa América is largely what cost him the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
Brazil Player Ratings vs. Scotland (4-1-2-3)
GK: Alisson—8.6: Any of his patented heroics were not needed to ensure a victory, but he still made timely saves to keep Scotland off the scoresheet.
RB: Danilo—7.6: Had plenty of work to do down the right flank, where most of the hosts’ best attacking sequences developed. Needed help at times to clear the danger, but otherwise held strong.
CB: Marquinhos—7.1: Solid as ever at the back. Helped hold Lawrence Shankland to zero shots on target in 90 minutes.
CB: Gabriel—7.8: Provided good cover in transition. Towed the line with physical defending inside his own box that helped keep Scotland quiet.
LB: Douglas Santos—7.3: Only misplaced one pass. Had few standout moments, but none were needed. Locked down Ben Gannon-Doak with poise.
DM: Casemiro—7.2: Did what he does best. Cleaned up his team’s mistakes in midfield and intervened defensively to disrupt Scotland. Put on a tackling display and kickstarted the action that led to Cunha’s goal.
AM: Bruno Guimarães—8.9: An all-around performance. Delivered a sensational ball right onto the head of Vinicius Jr to double Brazil’s lead and then set up his side’s third of the night. Pitched in valiantly to help close down John McGinn at the other end of the pitch.
AM: Lucas Paquetá—7.9: Disappointed with his set-piece delivery and struggled to find the target on his crosses. Still, created four chances and did well tracking back when necessary.
RW: Rayan—8.5: Picked the pocket of Scott McKenna to set up Vinicius Jr’s opener. Created chance after chance and looked right at home linking up with his fellow attackers. Will be disappointed he failed to score just before halftime.
ST: Matheus Cunha—8.5: Looked in the mood early and finally got his goal in the second half. Did well to exploit the tiniest of spaces and showed off his silky finishing. Deserves credit for winning the ball back in the build up to Brazil’s second.
LW: Vinicius Junior—9.3: Bagged his third goal of the tournament to take the pressure off his team early. Saw VAR chop away his second but kept his foot on the gas and still had a brace by halftime. Will be kicking himself he came up short of a hat-trick.
SUB: Gabriel Martinelli (66’ for Paquetá)—6.1: Failed to leave his mark. Didn’t muster a single shot.
SUB: Fabinho (66’ for Casemiro)—6.7: Made a few big defensive interventions to help Brazil keep a clean sheet.
SUB: Neymar (76’ for Cunha)—6.2: Knocking off the rust. Tried his luck at goal in the 90th minute, but saw his effort saved.
SUB: Alex Sandro (82’ for Santos)—N/A
SUB: Endrick (82’ for Rayan)—N/A
Subs not used: Ederson (GK), Weverton (GK), Bremer, Léo Pereira, Roger Ibañez, Éderson, Danilo, Igor Thiago, Luiz Henrique.
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Ancelotti turned to Rayan to fill the hole left by the injured Raphinha, and he no doubt liked what he saw from the 19-year-old. In his first World Cup start, Rayan was a ball of energy, pressing with vigor and bursting to life in transition to show off his playmaking. He’s now in pole position to get the nod in the round of 32 should the Barcelona winger fail to recover in time.
- It’s hard to believe Ancelotti overlooked Matheus Cunha in Brazil’s opener. The Manchester United forward now has three goals in two starts at the World Cup, looking every bit the man the Seleção need to lead the line. With each passing minute, he is developing more and more chemistry with his supporting cast and it shows.
- Neymar made his first appearance for Brazil since October 2023 much to the delight of fans in Miami and across the globe. Even though he didn’t tally a goal contribution, it was still the perfect scenario for the icon to return and start building his match fitness. It remains to be seen if he can truly play a large role this summer.
The Numbers That Explain Brazil’s Emphatic Victory
- Brazil showed it doesn’t need to dominate possession to control a match. The South American powerhouse had 54% possession and still rallied 21 shots the way of Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
- Ancelotti’s defense might have wavered at times, but it never looked in danger of folding. Scotland saw enough of the ball to take 14 shots , five of which were on target, but none troubled Alisson.
- Even without Raphinha, Brazil’s attack was firing on all cylinders. Vinicius Jr and Co. put together a 4.46 xG , a number that could have been even higher had they kept their foot on the gas the entire second half.
| Statistic | Scotland | Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| Posession | 46% | 54% |
| xG | 1.13 | 4.46 |
| Total Shots | 14 | 21 |
| Shots on Target | 5 | 9 |
| Big Chances | 2 | 2 |
| Pass Accuracy | 89% | 86% |
| Fouls | 10 | 14 |
| Corners | 7 | 2 |
